About
Your Contract. It is very important that you
read both sides of your contract thoroughly.
Any question regarding the contract should be answered prior to
signing the contract. Check to be sure your reservation dates, pick up
and delivery information, vehicle information etc, are noted correctly.
Any changes to the contract should be made immediately. A new contract
noting the changes will be mailed to you as quickly as possible.
About Your
Bill of Lading. The Uniform Straight Bill of Lading is the
document which allows us to carry your car from state to state. This
form will be used at the time of pickup and delivery and it will be the
governing documentation regulating the transport of your car. PLEASE
READ IT CAREFULLY. At the time we pick up your vehicle, we will make a
thorough physical inspection of the exterior of your car. Any and all
visible markings noted will be documented on the Bill of Lading. PLEASE
REVIEW ANY MARKINGS NOTED ON THE BILL OF LADING PRIOR TO RELEASING YOUR
CAR TO THE DRIVER. Any questions regarding your inspection should be
directed to the driver. In addition, ANY CLAIM FOR TRANSPORT DAMAGE MUST
BE NOTED AT THE TIME OF DELIVERY.
Insurance
Coverage.
As an ICC Carrier, we carry the necessary insurance as required by law.
A copy of our Certificate of Insurance can be obtained upon request. The
cargo portion of our coverage is solely for physical damage that might
occur in transit, not for mechanical malfunctions that could arise
during transport. According to the Uniform Straight Bill of Lading, each
vehicle is insured up to $15,000.00. In the event of a total loss, your
vehicle would only be insured for this amount. If the value of your
vehicle exceeds this amount, it should be co-insured with your insurance
company. All claims are subject to a $250.00 deductible.
Packing Your
Car. This
is probably the most asked question in the business.... "Can I pack
my car?" As you know, we are a fully licensed, bonded and insured
ICC common carrier (License # ICC MC 222317). WE ARE NOT A
HOUSEHOLD GOODS CARRIER. This means that although we permit some
things to be packed in your car, we ARE NOT responsible for them. Our
insurance coverage is solely for your automobile, NOT THE PERSONAL
CONTENTS IN THE CAR. Should you desire coverage for the personal
items you are packing, we recommend that you contact your homeowner's
insurance agent for more details.
As an ICC (Interstate Commerce
Commission) regulated business, we have certain guidelines and
restrictions which are imposed by the ICC and DOT (Department of
Transportation) as we travel from state to state through the scales. We
are only permitted to be so many pounds per axle weight on our equipment
and many "snowbirds" are accustomed to packing a little too
much. Overweight equipment due to overloaded vehicles cause us delays
and fines. UNDERCARRIAGE DAMAGE TO YOUR VEHICLE IS AT A GREATER RISK
WHEN YOUR VEHICLE IS OVERLOADED. Please keep your personal items
confined to the trunk and limited in weight to 100-125 pounds
(approximately 2 to 3 large suitcases).
Please use discretion in what you are packing. We cannot be responsible
for loose items that may tend to shift in transport and cause damage to
the interior of your automobile. DO NO PACK MEDICINES, PERISHABLE ITEMS,
PLANTS, IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS, ELECTRONIC DEVICES, IMPORTANT PARTY
CLOTHES, JEWELRY, VALUABLES, ETC. in the event of a delay beyond our
control.
Preparing
Your Car. Before
our car carriers are permitted to go anywhere, they are required by the
DOT to do a daily "Pre-Trip Inspection" of the equipment. We
strongly suggest that you also do a "Pre-Trip Inspection" of your
car. In preparing for any trip, it is important to check items such as
tire pressure, oil and water levels, other fluid levels, etc. "This
Pre-Trip Inspection" could help in avoiding unnecessary problems
down the road, not to mention that it is a good idea to be familiar with
your car. Loose moldings and the like have a tendency to fly off in
transit, thus causing possible damage to your vehicle or to others on
the same load. Leaking fluids can also be a detriment to the welfare of
your car and/or the car below it. Please have any and all repairs done
before transport. Vehicles that become inoperable in transit are subject
to an inoperable charge up to $100.00. It would be helpful for us if
you have no more than 1/4 tank of gas in your vehicle at time of
transport for weight reasons.
Reservations,
Changes and Cancellations. As you probably
know, we book our seasonal reservations several months in advance. We
book only that which we can accommodate on our car carriers (WE ARE NOT
BROKERS), and for
this reason, our dates book up very quickly. We suggest you contact us prior to the airlines for date availability. It is a good
idea to plan ahead and book early in order to get the dates you desire.
Once you make a reservation with our office, we will mail you a Contract
for Transport which you must read, sign and mail back to us along with a
$100.00 deposit. Any changes or cancellations to your reservation
must be made 20 days prior to your transport date in order to transfer
your deposit or receive a refund. For example, if your transport
date is June 21, and you want to change or cancel your date, you must do
so by June 1 and no later. If you make any changes or
cancellations after the allowed time period, you will forfeit your
deposit and/or it will not be transferable to another date.
What is
Door-To-Door
Service? If you live in
Dade, Broward or Palm Beach County, we will pick up or deliver your car
at your door by one of our flatbed trucks. The exception to this rule is
if you live in a secured development that does not allow a flatbed truck
in the gate. In this case, we will park outside of the development and
meet you with your car. If you live outside of the above counties, we
will pick up or deliver your car directly by one of our large car
carriers. Please keep in mind that our tractor trailers are 75 feet long and
approximately 14 feet in height. Therefore, when we say we will pick up
or deliver your car at your door with one of our car carriers, we mean
that we will make every effort to get as close to your door with our
tractor trailer
as possible. In order to maneuver the equipment, it is oftentimes
necessary to meet you at the closest shopping area. If you cannot drive
the vehicle over to the driver, he will be glad to take a cab to your
door. Your cooperation in making this connection is greatly appreciated.
To All New York Customers. If you live in one of the five boroughs
of New York, your car will be picked up and delivered by an outside
flatbed service. We do not send our tractor trailers into the city or
Long Island due to the time element and rough roads. If your car is
being picked up by the flatbed service, it will be taken to their
compound where our tractor trailer will load it and bring it to Florida or
wherever it's final destination may be.
What is
Door-To-Terminal
Service? We
are pleased to offer this convenient "Door-To-Terminal"
service to our customers flying to and from the Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood
Airport. A "door-to-terminal" service means that we can either
pick you up from the Fort Lauderdale Airport when you come down for the
winter, or take you to the airport in Fort Lauderdale after you drop
your car to our terminal in the Spring. Either way, you can have access
to your car at the time you arrive or depart if planned accordingly. We
are conveniently located just 1/4 mile north of the airport on the old
Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale.
Anticipated
Pick-up and Delivery Schedules. If you are transporting
northbound from Florida in Dade, Broward or Palm Beach County, we can
give you an exact date for pick up. Once you have a scheduled date for
pick up, we will contact you the day before to let you know whether it
will be a morning or afternoon pick up. Once your car has been picked
up, please estimate 3 to 6 days on delivery from the transport date
noted in your contract. We will attempt to contact you at least 12-24
hours in advance prior to making a delivery.
If you live outside of the above-named counties and/or are transporting
southbound, we must have a 2 - 3 day window of availability in order for
our car carriers to meet a specific time schedule. We will contact you
at least 12 to 24 hours in advance to advise you for pick up. You can always
contact our office to try and get a better idea for pick up time.
To View our Contract Terms and Conditions,
Please
Click Here.